A significant shift in higher education policy is underway in Kansas and Tennessee, as new laws are being introduced in response to the legacy of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In Kansas, college students now have the legal right to sue their institutions for free-speech violations. Meanwhile, Tennessee educators are encouraged to highlight “the positive impacts of religion” within American history lessons.

Both legislative moves are part of a broader effort to honor Charlie Kirk, who tragically lost his life while speaking at a Utah university last year. This initiative has sparked a wave of Kirk-themed legislative proposals across more than 20 states. According to an Associated Press analysis leveraging bill-tracking software Plural, over 60 bills are in the pipeline. These proposals aim to champion Kirk’s ideology, designate official remembrance days, or name public infrastructure in his honor.

True to Kirk’s own controversial style, these legislative measures have ignited debate. In Kansas, Republican lawmakers pushed through the free-speech law by overriding a veto from Democratic Governor Laura Kelly, who cautioned that the law might lead to confusion among courts and educational institutions.

In Tennessee, where the Republican Party holds sway, the pro-Kirk legislation has met with resistance from some Democratic legislators. They have voiced concerns, citing previous statements by Kirk that they interpret as racially insensitive, particularly regarding comments about Black pilots and Black women in leadership roles.

Republican lawmakers in Kansas overrode the veto of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to enact a law that she said would “cause confusion for courts and schools.”

In Tennessee, where Republicans firmly control state government, some Democrats denounced the pro-Kirk legislation by recounting what they described as racist remarks he made about Black pilots and Black women in government positions.

“How many times have we sat here and endured this? The Charlie Kirk Saves America Act, whatever the heck it is? Come on guys. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s move on,” Democratic state Rep. Sam McKenzie said during a committee meeting where Republicans endorsed the “Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act.”

That’s not to be confused with Tennessee’s “Charlie Kirk Act,” which Republicans also recently passed. That bill addresses campus free speech, including a ban on attendee walkouts that intentionally disrupt a speaker.

The variety of bills in Kirk’s name “shows just how deeply his influence is being felt, especially in the fight to restore intellectual diversity and core American values in education,” said Matt Shupe, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, which Kirk founded.

Tennessee touts Christian values in Kirk’s name

A Kirk-named law signed this week by Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee extols the historical “influence of Judeo-Christian values on the freedom and liberties ingrained in our culture.”

It gives permission for public schools and higher education institutions to teach about religion’s positive role in American history. And it lists 19 examples, beginning with the organization of the Pilgrims as a church and including George Washington’s direction for Army chaplains, Benjamin Franklin’s appeal for prayer at the constitutional convention and the impact of Christian evangelist Billy Graham.

Tennessee is one of several Republican-led states to partner with Turning Point USA to promote its high school chapters, called Club America. Dozens of club leaders from Tennessee attended a state Senate committee hearing last month to support the religion-in-history legislation.

Ben Mason, a junior from Providence Academy in Johnson City, said Kirk helped him “to understand that America began with Judeo-Christian values.”

“This, of course, does not mean that you must be a Christian or even believe in God to be in America, but you will hear about our roots,” Mason told lawmakers.

But Senate Democratic Leader Raumesh Akbari raised concerns.

“Our public schools are really not the place to push one religion over another,” she said. “I know that is not the stated intent of the bill, but I think that ends up being the result.”

Kansas cites Kirk to promote free speech

Lawmakers turned Kirk’s name into an acronym for the “Kansas intellectual rights and knowledge” act, which deems outdoor areas on college campuses as forums for free expression. The bill’s preamble praises Kirk and cites a 2024 incident at Kansas State University in which Kirk’s microphone was shut off at the end of his allotted time, leading Kirk to wade into the crowd to continue taking questions.

The measure limits security fees charged to student organizations for events and bans designated “free speech zones” that restrict the location of such activities. The attorney general — or any who believe their rights were infringed — can sue an institution seeking damages of at least $500 per violation, and $50 for each day it continues.

The bill is similar to the Campus Free Expression Act, promoted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. About half the states already have campus free-speech laws, according to the foundation.

“Charlie Kirk was assassinated for exercising his right to free speech and introducing young people to conservative values,” Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson said after Kelly’s veto was recently overridden. “His mission and legacy will live on and protect the free speech rights of all college students in Kansas for decades to come.”

Democrats, while decrying Kirk’s assassination, were unified in opposing the bill. Democratic state Rep. Jerry Stogsdill said legislators should not honor an activist whose statements promoted “hate, bigotry, misogyny and racism.”

More Kirk bills are pending in state capitols

In Louisiana, Republicans have proposed a bill dubbed the “Charlie Kirk Success Sequence Act.” The measure would require public schools to teach that the keys to success include earning a high school diploma, immediately entering the workforce after high school or college, and marrying before having children.

A Senate committee advanced the bill this week after overcoming objections.

“Why muddy this bill up by putting a controversial political figure’s name on it?” asked Democratic Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, whose attempt to remove Kirk’s name failed in the Republican-dominated committee.

“In the last 20 years, I cannot think of anyone that’s had the type of impact on our students, on our campuses and in our cities as Charlie Kirk,” said Republican Sen. Rick Edmonds, who authored the bill.

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Associated Press writers Sara Cline, John Hanna and Jonathan Mattise contributed to this report.